efore him he was
capable of anything desperate to effect his escape."

"I remember the man well," one of the officers said; "for, as you
know, I was in his regiment before I exchanged into the Twenty-eighth.
He was a notorious character. He had the strength of two ordinary men,
and once or twice when he was drunk it took eight men to bring him
into barracks. I am heartily glad he is caught, for the poor fellow he
killed was one of the most popular men in the regiment--with the
soldiers as well as with us--and if they could have laid hands on this
fellow I believe they would have hung him up without a trial. I shall
have real pleasure in giving evidence against the scoundrel for I was
present at the time he shot poor Forrest. I wasn't five yards away,
but it was all over and the villain was off before I had time to lift
a hand."

After dinner was over Ralph gave the full history of the capture in
the cavern, of which Captain O'Connor had sent but an outline.

"It was a sharp fight indeed," the major said when he had finished;
"for, for a time you were greatly outnumbered, and in the dark
discipline is not of much avail. I think on the whole you got very
well out of it, and O'Connor and Desmond were lucky in having got off
with a broken limb each."

Ralph was detained some days in Cork, as he had to be present at the
courthouse when the prisoners were brought up before the magistrates.
After giving his evidence as to the capture, his attendance was no
further required. All with the exception of the Red Captain were
committed at once upon the charges of working an illicit still, and of
offering a forcible resistance with arms to the authority of the
king's officers. The Red Captain was charged with several murders, and
was remanded in order that evidence might be obtained from the
regiment to which he belonged in Dublin, and of the constabulary and
other people in County Galway. Ralph then returned to Ballyporrit.

A fortnight later the detachment was recalled, the colonel having
received the news that the regiment would be shortly under orders for
America. Lieutenant Desmond was able to travel to Cork at once,
although still unfit for duty; and the surgeon reported that in
another fortnight Captain O'Connor would be also fit to be removed.

Ten days later definite orders were received for the regiment to be
ready for embarkation, as soon as the two transports which had been
ordered round from Plymouth arrived. Sold